For a message sender in a network, methods of identifying and addressing that operate in a context-devoid vacuum, have limitations. A method of identifying and addressing that relies solely on “where” something is (physically or logically), whether by itself or relatively (in logical or physical relation to others), is limited. A conventional addressing scheme wherein network elements are addressed only by “where” they are, requires the sender to decide which network elements it wishes to contact and to know their locations, all before sending a message thereto. Having to know “where” to send a message to, is inefficient, especially if the sender does not know what is happening “out there” on a real time basis in the operating environment and must first spend time and effort to find out before sending the message.
Furthermore, an addressing scheme that assigns (even temporarily) to a network element, a uni-dimensional address for only one context, is anemic. A network where a network element is assigned a fixed address (e.g. MAC address or even a temporarily static IP address under TCP/IP's Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol or DHCP) and has no other address or means by which it can be addressed, has limitations. Static schemes imply a frozen set of addressable elements, which in turn implies that the communications system is not changing over time and is unresponsive to the operating environment that typically is changing.
Accordingly, conventional addressing schemes betoken, at best, a first order, rough approximation of a communications system interacting with its operating environment.
A realistic communications system is dynamic. It changes or is changeable over time, often in response to stimuli (typically but not exclusively, from the operating environment), and sometimes needs to change itself (e.g. periodically or event-driven maintenance or repair). Accordingly, the more variables (and resulting dimensions) of a network element that are available for the sender to consider in identifying pertinent elements (and not just “where” an element is), the “richer” the potential identities, and the “richer” the entire communications network, become. With that enrichment comes attendant efficiencies for desired complex actions (in terms of speed, granularity, specificity, for examples) on the operating environment.